Masada is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Masada is a rugged natural fortress in the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. It is a symbol of the ancient kingdom of Israel, its violent destruction and the last stand of Jewish patriots against Roman invasion. It was built as a palace complex by Herod the Great.
The siege of Masada was one of the final events in the First Jewish–Roman War, occurring from 73 to 74 CE. According to Flavius Josephus the long siege by the troops of the Roman Empire led to the mass suicide of the Sicarii rebels and resident Jewish families of the Masada fortress.
